


Fate and Grey Areas

by impliedcomplications



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-29
Updated: 2014-09-29
Packaged: 2018-02-19 06:25:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2378159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/impliedcomplications/pseuds/impliedcomplications
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which impulse and deep contemplation meet an impasse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fate and Grey Areas

The camp was one the other side of the pass. Talia thanked the powers that be that the men that came before her had not met the line of Templars that now blocked the way of her party. “Do they really think they stand a chance?”

Talia barely turned her head to look at the blonde spitfire that stood behind her. “If they do, I would have to agree with them,” said the mage. “We will find another way around.”

“Oh yes! By all means, plow right through the mountain! Between you and Bull, we could be there in two days' time!”

Talia scowled. Why had she brought Sera along in the first place? She should have known better than to assume the elf would follow her wherever she went. “We have been traveling all day and it's getting dark. There's no point in pretending we are in any condition to fight them off. We will have to find another path.”

“Or we could just go through them!”

Talia opened her mouth to argue, but Cassandra spoke first. “We will follow where Inquisitor Adaar leads.” Talia smiled. It hadn't taken her long to win over the warrior. The two of them craved the glory and honor they had read about in the stories of old. There was no doubt that the two of them would go down together in a blaze, but now was not that time. As much as they dreamed of valiant last stands, they were still tacticians and would not waste their time on such petty fights when fate was not on their side.

The hornless mage turned to the other Qunari, who shrugged. “I could get a few good swings in, I'm sure.” Bull seemed to speak for all of them. As much as Talia wished to avoid conflict, she couldn't help but admit the allure of getting to camp as quickly as possible. With every opinion given, she weighed her options. The moon was beginning its ascent, and the mountains were even more dangerous at night.

“Very well. However if I end up in Solas' care for the next week and a half, know it is because of _your_ impatience.” The 'your' was punctuated with a sharp glare in Sera's direction.

“And when it turns out you were just being a baby, know that I am always right and that you should listen to me more.” Talia had no time to respond. In an instant, Sera was darting down the trail towards the enemies that blocked the path. With a sigh, Talia nodded to her remaining two companions and they followed suit.

 

When she was young, Talia had heard that the Antaam cut the horns off of their Saarebas to make them look scary. After she had joined the Valo-Kas, she had sawed the ends of her own horns off and decorated what was left of the ends with gold caps. Sure enough, whenever they ran into members of the Beresaad, they found her very intimidating. But these Red Templars? They didn't care what she looked like. They didn't care how long her horns were. To them, she just another monster to be killed. And if the group at the camp hadn't heard the commotion, she would probably be dead.

She heard light footsteps in the mud and tried to turn toward them. A sharp gasp escaped her lips as she clutched her side. There was no way she didn't have a cracked rib. The person beside her knelt down and put a bottle to her lips. The earthy sweetness of elfroot met her nose and she opened her mouth. The health potion ran down her throat, spreading a warm sensation throughout her body. Her eyes slid open to see the cause of her current predicament kneeling above her.

The sweat on Sera's face caught the moonlight and and the silvery glow turned the crimson splotches on her cheeks an unusual color. Her eyes were wet with what Talia perceived to be tears. “I was wrong...” The words were came out somewhere between a choke and a sob. Talia had not expected penitence from the wild card. She hadn't expected anything other than moping about for the next couple of days. Early on she had learned of the elf's extreme dislike of being wrong.

“The decision was my own. Fate did not see it fit that I succeed.”

“No! Bloody no! Fuck your stupid fucking fate. You shouldn't have listened to us... to me...”

Talia, while she followed no god in particular, firmly believed in _something_. There was something about the ambiguity that Sera hated. Sera viewed the world in black and white and Talia Adaar was most grey shade of grey.

The Qunari reached up and gently gripped Sera's shoulder. “There is no point in talking about who did what. What happened has happened and I would like to be taken to camp, now.”

As if on cue, Iron Bull appeared next to her and hoisted her up. As her companion lead her away, Talia swore she heard the elf mutter something about “great, horned idiots.”


End file.
